From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Sat, Jun 22, 2013 at 2:01 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Friday, Jun 21
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for June 21, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Muscles act as metamaterials due to collective behavior, physicists show- Ferroelectric-graphene-based system could lead to improved information processing
- Harnessing the potential of quantum tunneling: Transistors without semiconductors
- Researchers discover way to allow 80 percent of sound to pass through walls
- Two-dimensional atomically-flat transistors show promise for next generation green electronics
- GM silkworms bred to spin fluorescent
- Time perception altered by mindfulness meditation
- Team creates techniques for high quality, high resolution stereo panoramas
- First Apple computer could fetch $500,000 or more (Update)
- UK regulator orders Google to delete private data
- Scientists solve riddle of strangely behaving magnetic material
- Super full moon shines brightly this weekend (Update)
- FAA moving toward easing electronic device use
- Oddest couple ever found: Amphibian and mammal forerunner share 250 million year old burrow
- Messier 61 looks straight into Hubble's camera
Space & Earth news
Singapore pollution reaches hazardous levels
This week Singapore's pollution standards index (PSI) reached 400, breaking all previous records and prompting government health warnings. A PSI reading above 200 indicates "very unhealthy" air, while a PSI score above 300 is considered "hazardous".
Saving the blue waters pouring into the Black Sea
An early warning system of threats over freshwater resources in the Black Sea region is now available to policy makers. The onus remains on them to effectively preserve fresh water sources.
New report on climate change adaptation and the insurance system
The economic and insured costs of natural disasters due to extreme weather are examined in a comprehensive new report published this month: "Market-based mechanisms for climate change adaptation."
Zero tolerance for food waste a must
In light of a recent international report warning of impending food production shortages, Dr Shashi Sharma, Chair in Biosecurity and Food Security at Murdoch University, has a simple message: the world must adopt a zero tolerance attitude to food waste.
Alarming new climate forecasts show why desal so vital for Australia's future
New climate forecasts warn of ten per cent streamflow losses into Melbourne's catchments and 25 per cent losses for South-West Western Australia.
Airlines help researchers understand global climate change
Commercial aircraft are now being used to collect data which helps scientists to measure greenhouse gases, aerosols and cloud particles. This allows the collection of observational data on a scale and in numbers impossible to achieve using research aircraft alone.
Shipping firms warn of haze danger in Malacca Strait
Shipping companies warned Friday that the haze emanating from forest fires in Indonesia could lead to accidents in the busy Malacca and Singapore straits, risking a potentially devastating oil spill.
NASA image: Barry expected to dissipate rapidly after landfall
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft captured this infrared image of Tropical Storm Barry in the Gulf of Mexico's Bay of Campeche at 07:53 UTC (3:53 a.m. EDT) on June 20, 2013, as the storm was about to make landfall in southern Mexico.
NASA image: Wilfire smoke over Alaska
On June 19, 2013, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of smoke from wildfires burning in western Alaska.
Crews begin dismantling key California dam
For nine decades, the 10-story-high concrete dam with its rusted pipes, railings and valves has stood in the wooded canyons between the Big Sur hills and the picturesque town of Carmel, blocking the natural flows of the Carmel River.
Air pollution becomes Asia's migraine
Air pollution has become a curse for millions of city-dwellers in Asia, posing a mounting risk to the very young and very old, pregnant women and people with heart and respiratory problems, say experts.
NASA rocket launch successful, next launch June 24 from Wallops
Following the successful launch today, June 20, of a NASA Terrier-Improved Orion sounding rocket, launch teams are now preparing for a two-rocket salvo June 24 from the Wallops Flight Facility, Va.
Sounding rocket to observe currents in atmosphere
Swirling through Earth's upper atmosphere is a layer of charged particles called the ionosphere. Constantly on the move, currents through the ionosphere can be much more complicated than winds at lower altitudes, because the currents vary in concert with magnetic fields around Earth and solar activity. The ionosphere stretches from about 30 to 600 miles above Earth, and it plays a crucial role in our day-to-day lives because radio waves bounce off it as they travel from sender to receiver. Communications and navigation signals from satellites travel through it as well. A disrupted ionosphere equates to disrupted signals.
Record-setting Singapore haze hits 'hazardous' level
Indonesia on Friday deployed helicopters to artificially create rain in a bid to fight raging fires that have choked Singapore with smog, which is hitting record-breaking levels that pose a threat to the elderly and the ill.
Carbon buried deep in ancient soils
(Phys.org) —The unearthing of significant carbon stores in deep soils by scientists from the UK and Australia has substantial implications for climate change activities globally.
Small satellites soar in high-altitude demonstration
(Phys.org) —Four tiny spacecraft soared over the California desert June 15 in a high-altitude demonstration flight that tested the sensor and equipment designs created by NASA engineers and student launch teams.
Climate tug of war disrupting Australian atmospheric circulation patterns
(Phys.org) —The study, in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, demonstrates that mid-latitude high pressure zones (30 S-45 S) are being pushed further into the Southern Ocean by rising global temperatures associated with greenhouse warming. This is despite more frequent occurrences of strong El Niños in recent decades, which should have drawn the high pressure zones in the opposite direction toward the equator.
Vegetation as seen by Suomi NPP
(Phys.org) —Images crafted from a year's worth of data collected by the Suomi NPP satellite provide a vivid depiction of worldwide vegetation. Suomi NPP, short for National Polar-orbiting Partnership, is a partnership between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
New Horizons spacecraft 'stays the course' for Pluto system encounter
Following an intense 18 month study to determine if NASA's New Horizons spacecraft faced potentially destructive impact hazards during its planned 2015 flyby of the Pluto binary planet system, the mission team has decided to 'stay the course' – and stick with the originally planned trajectory because the danger posed by dust and debris is much less than feared.
Indonesia sends planes to fight haze-causing fires
Air pollution in Singapore soared to record heights for a third consecutive day, as Indonesia dispatched planes and helicopters Friday to battle raging fires blamed for hazardous levels of smoky haze in three countries.
NASA image: Smoke engulfs Singapore
On June 19, 2013, NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites captured striking images of smoke billowing from illegal wildfires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The smoke blew east toward southern Malaysia and Singapore, and news media reported that thick clouds of haze had descended on Singapore, pushing pollution levels to record levels.
Goddard helps set two Guinness World Records
Setting two world records in two consecutive months, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., helped share some of NASA's amazing accomplishments. The awards highlight the tremendous amount of work by many of the center's engineers, scientists and communicators.
Sun emits a solstice CME
On June 20, 2013, at 11:24 p.m., the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME, a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of particles into space that can reach Earth one to three days later. These particles cannot travel through the atmosphere to harm humans on Earth, but they can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground.
Antifreeze on Titan could affect its chances for life
Scientists have found that a common antifreeze compound that might exist on Saturn's moon Titan can get trapped within ice-like cages. This discovery could influence our ideas about the evolution and development of life on Titan and other icy celestial bodies.
Super full moon shines brightly this weekend (Update)
A "supermoon" rises this weekend.
Messier 61 looks straight into Hubble's camera
(Phys.org) —The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured this image of nearby spiral galaxy Messier 61, also known as NGC 4303. The galaxy, located only 55 million light-years away from Earth, is roughly the size of the Milky Way, with a diameter of around 100 000 light-years.
Five years of stereo imaging for NASA's TWINS
(Phys.org) —Surrounding Earth is a dynamic region called the magnetosphere. The region is governed by magnetic and electric forces, incoming energy and material from the sun, and a vast zoo of waves and processes unlike what is normally experienced in Earth-bound physics. Nestled inside this constantly changing magnetic bubble lies a donut of charged particles generally aligned with Earth's equator. Known as the ring current, its waxing and waning is a crucial part of the space weather surrounding our planet, able to induce magnetic fluctuations on the ground as well as to transmit disruptive surface charges onto spacecraft.
Medicine & Health news
Emergency helicopter airlifts help the seriously injured
Patients transferred to hospital via helicopter ambulance tend to have a higher survival rate than those who take the more traditional road route, despite having more severe injuries. The research, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care suggests that air ambulances are both effective and worthy of investment.
ACOG recommends screening women for elder abuse
(HealthDay)—Elder abuse is a prevalent issue and needs to be screened for in women aged 60 years and older during preventive health care visits, according to a Committee Opinion published in the July issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
New treatment method looks to still tremors
There is no cure for tremor. That means for patients who suffer from the ailment – characterized by involuntary muscle contractions and shaking – ordinary tasks become increasingly difficult. Buttoning shirts, cooking a meal and even going out in public proves difficult for tremor patients, some who are likewise dealing with Parkinson's disease or Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Assessing performance of colonoscopy procedures improves quality
A new study reports that the use of a quarterly report card is associated with improved colonoscopy quality indicators. Endoscopists at the Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Indianapolis, Ind., who participated in the study showed an overall adjusted adenoma (precancerous polyp) detection rate increase from 44.7 percent to 53.9 percent, and a cecal intubation rate increase from 95.6 percent to 98.1 percent. These two metrics are validated measures of colonoscopy performance quality. The study appears in the June issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).
Potty-training pitfalls and how to avoid them
(HealthDay)—Incorrectly toilet training children can lead to problems ranging from bed-wetting and daytime accidents to urinary tract infections, so it's important to get it right, an expert says.
Huge falls in diabetes mortality in UK and Canada since mid-1990s
Both the UK and Canada have experienced huge falls in diabetes-related mortality since the mid-1990s, with the result that the gap in mortality risk between those with and without diabetes has narrowed substantially. The findings are in new research published in Diabetologia, the Journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), and written by Dr Lorraine Lipscombe, Women's College Hospital, Women's College Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada, and Adjunct Scientist, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Canada; and Dr Marcus Lind, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden and colleagues.
Alteplase treatment reduces long-term disability and improves quality of life in stroke survivors
New research published Online First in The Lancet Neurology indicates that giving the clot-busting drug alteplase up to 6 hours after a stroke reduces long-term disability, significantly increases the likelihood of independence, and improves quality of life in stroke survivors of all ages for up to 18 months after treatment.
Daily iron during pregnancy linked to improved birth weight
Taking iron daily during pregnancy is associated with a significant increase in birth weight and a reduction in risk of low birth weight, finds a study published in BMJ today.
Severe egg allergy? There's now a flu shot for you
People with serious egg allergies may no longer have to worry about flu shots.
Fetal exposure to tobacco smoke tied to hearing loss in teens
(HealthDay)—Add another hazard to the long list of reasons not to smoke during pregnancy: Children exposed to tobacco smoke in the womb may be at higher risk for hearing loss.
Serum miR-21 putative biomarker for colorectal cancer
(HealthDay)—The oncogenic microRNA (miRNA) miR-21 is a potential biomarker for detection and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a study published in the June 19 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
New test IDs genotype of hepatitis C
(HealthDay)—A new test to help doctors identify the genotype of a person's hepatitis C infection has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Men who can't produce sperm face increased cancer risk, study finds
Men who are diagnosed as azoospermic—infertile because of an absence of sperm in their ejaculate—are more prone to developing cancer than the general population, a study led by a Stanford University School of Medicine urologist has found. And a diagnosis of azoospermia before age 30 carries an eight-fold cancer risk, the study says.
A woman's face drives relationship length: study
Men looking for a quick fling prefer women with more "feminine" facial features, said a study Friday that delved into the evolutionary determinants of the mating game.
FDA OKs sale of 'Morning-after' pill without age limit
(HealthDay)—The so-called morning-after pill is about to go over-the-counter, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announcing Thursday that it has approved unrestricted sales of Plan B One-Step.
CMS implementing physician quality reporting system
(HealthDay)—To promote the reporting of quality information by eligible professionals, the Physician Quality Reporting System is being implemented, according to a report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Americans' vitamin D levels are highest in August, lowest in February, study shows
UC Irvine and Mayo Clinic researchers have found that vitamin D levels in the U.S. population peak in August and bottom out in February. The essential vitamin – necessary for healthy bones – is produced in the skin upon exposure to ultraviolet B rays from the sun.
What is integrative medicine, and when is it appropriate to use it with patients?
You wake up one day with swollen legs. Your doctor, like many physicians, might prescribe a pill to help your body get rid of the excess water.
We really do like to be beside the seaside, app confirms
Spending time by the sea is one of the keys to happiness, according to a study that uses mobile technology to track people's wellbeing in different environments.
Childhood cancer survivors found to have significant undiagnosed disease as adults
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has found that childhood cancer survivors overwhelmingly experience a significant amount of undiagnosed, serious disease through their adult years, establishing the importance of proactive, life-long clinical health screenings for this growing high-risk population. The findings appear in the June 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Study reveals link between sleep deprivation in teens and poor dietary choices
(Medical Xpress)—Well-rested teenagers tend to make more healthful food choices than their sleep-deprived peers, according to a study led by Lauren Hale, PhD, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University School of Medicine. The finding, presented at SLEEP 2013, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, may be key to understanding the link between sleep and obesity.
Not all cardiovascular risk calculators are created equal, research shows
(Medical Xpress)—Online calculators that predict a patient's risk of cardiovascular disease vary greatly in accuracy, according to new medical research from the University of Alberta.
The secret life of 'tweeting' tumours
(Medical Xpress)—A breakthrough study led by researchers at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) has revealed how brain tumours communicate with other cells, which may lead to new treatments. The study has been published online in the journal RNA Biology.
Antibiotics prevent some hospital UTIs
(Medical Xpress)—Urinary tract infections are among the most common infections acquired in hospitals. Most are linked to catheters that drain urine from the bladder, providing a direct route for bacteria to enter.
How foods are 'sized' affects how much we eat
(Medical Xpress)—Portions, such as 8, 12 or 16 ounces – are given different labels – small, medium or large – at different restaurants.
Following the swarm: Locust research leads to insights on human nutrition
New insights into the causes of our raging obesity epidemic are coming from an unusual source: locusts.
Researchers charting health benefits of slowly digested starches
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at Iowa State University are mapping the potentially far-reaching health benefits of starches that take extra time to digest.
US Supreme Court decision to bar gene patents opens genetic test options
The June 13 U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous decision to bar the patenting of naturally occurring genes opens up important clinical testing options for a variety of diseases.
Stress hormone could trigger mechanism for the onset of Alzheimer's
(Medical Xpress)—A chemical hormone released in the body as a reaction to stress could be a key trigger of the mechanism for the late onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study by researchers at Temple University.
Negative public health campaigns may undermine weight loss goals
Public health campaigns that stigmatize obese people by using negative images or text do not motivate them to lose weight any more than more neutral campaigns, finds a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. In fact, negative campaigns may backfire by undermining a person's belief that he or she is capable of losing weight.
Taiwan reports H6N1 bird flu case
Taiwan on Friday reported what it said was the world's first ever human case of the H6N1 strain of bird flu, commonly found in poultry.
Scientists discover previously unknown requirement for brain development
Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have demonstrated that sensory regions in the brain develop in a fundamentally different way than previously thought, a finding that may yield new insights into visual and neural disorders.
Compound enhances SSRI antidepressant's effects in mice
A synthetic compound is able to turn off "secondary" vacuum cleaners in the brain that take up serotonin, resulting in the "happy" chemical being more plentiful, scientists from the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio have discovered. Their study, released June 18 by The Journal of Neuroscience, points to novel targets to treat depression.
Potentially life-saving cooling treatment rarely used for in-hospital cardiac arrests
The brain-preserving cooling treatment known as therapeutic hypothermia is rarely being used in patients who suffer cardiac arrest while in the hospital, despite its proven potential to improve survival and neurological function, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report in the June issue of Critical Care Medicine. The authors suggest that scarce data about in-hospital cardiac arrest patients and guidelines that only call for health care providers to consider use of therapeutic hypothermia, rather than explicitly recommending it, may explain the study's results.
Alzheimer's disease protein controls movement in mice
Researchers in Berlin and Munich, Germany and Oxford, United Kingdom, have revealed that a protein well known for its role in Alzheimer's disease controls spindle development in muscle and leads to impaired movement in mice when the protein is absent or treated with inhibitors. The results, which are published in The EMBO Journal, suggest that drugs under development to target the beta-secretase-1 protein, which may be potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease, might produce unwanted side effects related to defective movement.
EU ministers back ban on menthol cigarettes
European Union health ministers on Friday approved plans to ban menthol and other flavoured cigarettes as part of a crackdown on youth smoking.
AHRQ offers strategies to prevent adverse drug events
(HealthDay)—Strategies to prevent adverse drug events (ADEs) have been recommended and published in a report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Images increase accuracy of skin cancer self-detection
(HealthDay)—Visual images such as those of benign and cancerous skin lesions increase awareness and accuracy of skin self-examination, according to a review published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Gene patenting ruling unlikely to really impact oncology care
(HealthDay)—The Supreme Court decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad is not likely to have much immediate impact the practice of oncology, according to a special communication published online June 13 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Look beyond the sun for skin cancer culprits, doctors warn
(HealthDay)—Think "skin cancer" and blame immediately goes to the sun. Justifiably so—though not totally, skin doctors say.
Oregon woman tans her way to a melanoma diagnosis
(HealthDay)—Katie Wilkes was just 23 years old when she noticed a strange spot on her right breast.
Single moderate exercise session ups insulin sensitivity in obese
(HealthDay)—A single, afternoon session of moderate exercise improves insulin sensitivity the next day in obese adults, according to a study published online June 11 in Diabetes Care.
Expert discusses sleep disorders, healthy rest
With the arrival of Friday's summer solstice, there's now little night for sleepers who crave darkness. But lack of light is only one impediment to getting a good night's sleep.
Mastectomy debate: Much-needed information or fueling hysteria?
There was a time when breast cancer was discussed in whispers. Mastectomies, hardly at all. Not anymore.
US doctors urge reversal of gay blood ban
A leading US doctors' group this week urged the reversal of a decades-old ban on donations of blood from gay men, saying the law is discriminatory and outdated.
Innovative intervention program improves life for rural women in India living with HIV/AIDS
A multidisciplinary team of researchers from UCLA and India has found that a new type of intervention program, in which lay women in the rural Indian province of Andra Pradesh were trained as social health activists to assist women who have HIV/AIDS, significantly improved patients' adherence to antiretroviral therapy and boosted their immune-cell counts and nutrition levels.
Children's eye injuries peak in summer, expert says
(HealthDay)—Swimming pools are a major reason why children's eye injuries increase in the summer, according to an expert.
Time perception altered by mindfulness meditation
(Medical Xpress)—New published research from psychologists at the universities of Kent and Witten/Herdecke has shown that mindfulness meditation has the ability to temporarily alter practitioners' perceptions of time – a finding that has wider implications for the use of mindfulness both as an everyday practice, and in clinical treatments and interventions.
Defects in brain cell migration linked to mental retardation
(Medical Xpress)—A rare, inherited form of mental retardation has led scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to three important "travel agents" at work in the developing brain.
Study shows a solitary mutation can destroy critical 'window' of early brain development
Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have shown in animal models that brain damage caused by the loss of a single copy of a gene during very early childhood development can cause a lifetime of behavioral and intellectual problems.
Scientists identify gene that regulates stem cell death and skin regeneration
(Medical Xpress)—Stem cells, known for their ability to self-renew and differentiate into any kind of tissue, are considered by many scientists in the field to be immortal. But there are signs that programmed death of stem cells is important for their regulation. New research from scientists at Rockefeller University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute has identified a gene that plays a key role in regulating stem cell death, a finding that has major implications for regenerative medicine, wound healing and cancer.
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